The top 10 new vehicles with the best resale value

When buying a new vehicle, it's good to consider how your investment will weather over time – and resale value is a huge factor

by
John LeBlanc | December 22, 2015

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While monthly payments and fuel costs may concern new car buyers, unless you’re the type of owner who drives their vehicle into the ground, what your vehicle is worth when it’s time to sell can either cost or save you thousands of dollars.

To help, U.S.-based Kelley Blue Book’s annual Best Resale Value Awards lists the vehicles priced under US$60,000 that are projected to retain the most value long after they’ve lost their new car smell. Here are the top 10 2016 vehicles (with base Canadian MSRPs) that are projected to retain an average of almost 55 per cent of their original prices after five years of typical ownership.

10th Place: 2016 Subaru Forester

The Subaru Forester looked right at home in the Maritimes.

This is the second straight year KBB has awarded Japan’s Subaru as the best overall mainstream brand for resale value (Toyota’s Lexus won the luxury segment). The $25,995 2016 Forester all-wheel-drive, five-passenger, four-door compact crossover is the first of two Subaru models to take this year’s top 10. Since its debut in 1997, the Forester has been a resale value winner, and the fourth-generation version that arrived in 2014 continues that tradition. Resale value at 36 months, 59.3 per cent; 60 months, 47.3 per cent

9th Place: 2016 GMC Sierra

Each trim and model of the 2016 GMC Sierra gets a unique front end treatment.

With the majority of the KBB Top 10 Best Resale Value winners being trucks and SUVs, it’s no surprise to see the $28,500 2016 GMC Sierra make the list. Beating out its General Motors’ Chevrolet Silverado to take the ninth spot, the up to six-passenger, rear- or four-wheel-drive Sierra full-size pickup is the best of the domestic brands when it comes to keeping its value over time. Resale value at 36 months, 57.0 per cent; 60 months, 48.0 per cent

8th Place: 2016 Chevrolet Camaro

2016 Chevrolet Camaro

Of the two passenger cars on this year’s list, both the Chevrolet Camaro and Subaru WRX are targeted at driving enthusiasts, and both are projected to keep their value longer than any other 2016 passenger car. In the case of the rear-wheel-drive, four-passenger Camaro two-door coupe, it’s all-new for 2016, and is expected to start at a similar under-$30,000 price as the outgoing 2015 fifth-generation models. Resale value at 36 months, 61.0 per cent; 60 months, 49.0 per cent

7th Place: 2016 Subaru WRX

2016 Subaru WRX

We thoroughly enjoyed our long-term $29,995 2016 Subaru WRX during its 60-day stay in our hands. Its sports car performance, roomy and well-made interior and loads of available safety and luxury gear made the Subie a joy to drive. But buyers can now feel comforted that Subaru’s all-wheel-drive, five-passenger, four-door sports compact sedan is also a good value years after you drive it off your local dealer lot. Resale value at 36 months, 65.2 per cent; 60 months, 50.8 per cent

6th Place: 2016 Toyota Tundra

2015 Toyota Tundra Platinum

In its 15-year history, Japan’s Toyota has never been able to break the stranglehold the Detroit Three have in the full-size truck market. But if you want a big truck with a big resale value, the up to six-passenger, rear- or four-wheel-drive $29,035 2016 Toyota Tundra (refreshed back in 2014) is your best bet, according to KBB’s numbers. Resale value at 36 months, 64.1 per cent; 60 months, 53.8 per cent

5th Place: 2016 Jeep Wrangler

The Jeep Wrangler is expected to see a major redesign in 2018.

It sucks gas, has a cramped interior and rides, well, like a Jeep. But when it comes time to resell, the $25,995 2016 Jeep Wrangler is a perennial KBB champ. It helps that Jeep’s four-wheel-drive, five-passenger, four-door midsize SUV is unique in a market chock-o-block with car-based soft roaders, and is constantly in-demand as a used vehicle. Resale value at 36 months, 65.6 per cent; 60 months, 54.9 per cent

4th Place: 2016 Chevrolet Colorado

2015 Chevrolet Colorado

Some industry types questioned the wisdom of GM re-entering the midsize truck segment. But when it comes to resale value, the U.S. automaker’s new Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon twins are winners. And now with available diesel power, the up-to-five-passenger, rear- or four-wheel-drive $20,895 Colorado midsize pickup truck is even more in demand. Resale value at 36 months, 70.0 per cent; 60 months, 58.6 per cent

3rd Place: 2016 GMC Canyon

2015 GMC Canyon SLT 4WD

With both its full-size Sierra and midsize Canyon earning KBB Best Resale Value Awards, GM’s GMC brand must be doing something right. Like its Chevrolet Colorado platform-mate, the up-to-five-passenger, rear- or four-wheel-drive $20,600 Canyon midsize pickup truck is expected to keep a good chunk of its original price when it comes time to resell. Resale value at 36 months, 70.7 per cent; 60 months, 59.5 per cent

2nd Place: 2016 Toyota 4Runner

2015 Toyota 4Runner Trail Edition

Like the fifth-place Jeep Wrangler, the traditional, body-on-frame 4Runner is a unique proposition. It rides stiffly, and doesn’t offer as much room as some of its crossover rivals. But with a reputation for durability and reliability, the up to five-passenger, rear- or four-wheel-drive $43,790 Toyota midsize sport-utility vehicle remains a resale value winner. Resale value at 36 months, 66.7 per cent; 60 months, 60.3 per cent

1st Place: 2016 Toyota Tacoma

2016 Toyota Tacoma

Penny pincher alert: If you want to keep the most of your hard-earned money on a new vehicle when it comes time to resell, the $27,995 2016 Toyota Tacoma is the best new vehicle to buy. Although the up-to-five-passenger, rear- or four-wheel-drive, midsize pickup truck has been thoroughly redesigned for 2016, KBB still expects the Toyota truck to retain its predecessor’s industry-leading resale values. Resale value at 36 months, 72.9 per cent; 60 months, 61.7 per cent